Foldable back and head rest



ANov, 4 1924,

J. P. DAvENPoR-r FOLDABLE BACK AND HEAD REST Filed June SLS. 1921 .Patented Nov. 1, 1924.

UN'ED` STATES JOSEPH P. DAVENPORT,

FOLDABLE BiCK Application filed June 13,

fo all 'ui/1.0721, t may concern:

Be it known that l, JosnrH P. DAvnN- ronr, citizen of the United States, and a resident ot the city of 'heaton, in the county of Du .Page and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful m- 'iroven'xents in Foldable Back and Head Rests, of which the following is aA specititration.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in told-able back and head rests adapted for use upon a lbed or the floor, the several parts of which are cheaply constructed and are' foldable within the smallest possible limits consistent with their size for carrying and shipping purposes. w

The object of my invention is to combine with a. foldable back rest a detacha'bly jointed foldable head rest, permanently pivoted to the back rest and adapted to be folded between the side bars of the latter, which head rest exibly yields to the pressure ot the head of the occupant and in its operative position is fulcrumed upon the head rest at a point between its pivotalr connection therewith and its upper end.

With these ends in view', my invention finds embodiment in certain features oi' novelty in the construction, combination and arrangenlent of parts by 'which the said o-bjects are attained, all as hereinafter fully described with reference to the yaccom-panying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

in said drawings,-

Fig. 1 illustrates in side elevation a combined back rand head rest in which my invention nds its embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a iront elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a detail illustrating the folding movement of the back rest.

Fig. el is a side elevation of the head rest and back rest in their folded position.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the head rest.

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The longitudinal side bars for the back rest preferably consist of angle bars 7-7, connected at intervals by flat bars 8 riveted to the side bars, as indicated at 9, and preferably curved inwardly to conform to the back of the occupant, the lower end of the Side bars being bent to a rounded form, as

1,514,202 rATsN'r ortica.

or WHEATON, ILLINOIS.

arm HEAD nnsfr.

1921. serial No. 477,312.

indicated at 9, to prevent tearing of the fabric upon which the black rest may be supported.

To the side bars above their 'lower ends are secured base bars 10-10, preferably riveted thereto, Ybut may besecured by means of a nut-bolt 11', the opposite ends'oi" these base bars being connected by a crossfb'ar: 12 secured thereto by means of a. rivet 13. the base bars `being provided at intervals of their lengthv with notches 111. The pivoting of the base bar `above the lower end of the side bar provides a one point cont-act only for the base bar with its underlying support, and which, with the end bar, stabilizes the structure as a. who-le.

Pivotally secured to the'inner opposing sides of the side bars, by'means of rivets 16, are brace bars 15, connected at their opposite ends by means of a rod 17, projecting outwardly beyond the base bars 10, andy having screw-threaded thereon (see Fig. 6) a nut 18, which nut, in connection with the brace bars 15, is adapted to straddle the notches 14 for the rod 17 to enter any one of the several notches 14.

Projecting underneath the front surface of the side bars 7 are bars 19-19, pivotally riveted to the bar 7 at 20, which bars 119 converge toward their upper ends, where they are det-achably connected by a crossbar 21, pivotally but permanently secured at one end of the bars 19 by a flat-headed bolt 22 passing through the cross-bar 21 and the bar 19, the opposite end of the bar being secured tothe other bar 19 by means of a nat-headed bolt 23, passing through the bars 21 and 19 and provided with a thumbnut 24, as shown in Fig. 2, for convenience in tightening the cross-bar in its operative position and conveniently disconnecting it for folding purposes.

In order that the link 15 may be folded within the side bars 7, these latter bars (see Figs. 1 and 3) are cut away, as indicated at 25, in Figs. 1 and 3, for receiving the heads of the pivot bolts 18, which would otherwise be stopped by the opposing edge of the side bars 7.

When the side bars of the head rest are in their operative position, as Vindicated in Figs. 1 and 2, they are slightly sprung and fulcrumed on the upper cross-bar 8 of the back rest, which latter is adjusted, as shown in Fig. 1, or at any other inclination, by .Shifting the rod. l? to engagement Wlth Seme one of the other notches 14 in the bar 10.

For folding the head and back rest, the bar 15 is first disconnected from the notches, followed by swinging the bars 10 d ownwardly in the direction indicated in Fig. 3, until said bars lie flat against the outer side surface of the bars 7 7, followed by swinging' the bars 15 until they lie flat against the inner surface of the bar 7.

It is now to be observed that the nut-bolt 22 for the head rest, while somewhat tight, permits of the cross-bar 21 being forcibly swvungk on its bar 19, the thumb-screw 2l 'being for the purposes of tightening the cross-bar in its operative position and so that, for the purposes of detaching it, the humb-nut must first be removed, following which the head rest is folded by first moving the bar 19, 'shown in Fi 2, downwardlyY to free it from the top cross-bar 8, then swinging it on its pivot 2Ov against the bar 7, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, followed by swinging the other bar 19, together with the top bar 2O to the same position relative to the other side bar 9, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In short, my invention provides a foldable back and head rest, all of the hinged members of which are pivoted to the back rest and may be swung from their operative position to and folded within approximately the confines of the side bars for the lback rest, and to a position not only providing for great compactness for packing purposes, but for carrying by hand a foldable bach and head rest from place to place.

As before stated, the side bars of the heat rest are sufficiently ie-Xible for them to be swung between and fulcrumed on the top bar of the back rest and Vso that when connected by their top bar 21, as before described, they will `be frictionally held in their operative position and yieldable to the pressure of a head resting thereon.

The type of foldable back rest, such as I have herein shown and described, is intended to be placed upon a bed or upon the floor, for the purposes of an invalid or one desiring to be sustained in a comfortable position while reading.

So far as I am now aware, back rests of the character described have liever' before been provided with a distinctive head rest, and particularly a head rest which is foldable within the confines of the side bars of a back rest, and my invention is therefore not limited to the special details of construction of such a head frest or whereby it is adapted to be folded within and against the longitudinal sides of a back rest, and particularly a back rest of the construction herein shown and described.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure 'by Letters Patent is:

1. A back rest, a base bar therefor, pivoted above the bottom end of the back rest, ad justabie brace bars detachably connecting the back rest and base bar, and a head rest provided with side bars pivoted to the back rest and means detachably connecting the upper ends thereof whereby said back rest and base bar are supported at its ends only, and the back rest, head rest and said base Ibar are foldable within each other.

2. The combination with an adjustable back rest having spaced cross-bars connecting the side edges thereof, of a head rest provided with fieXible side bars pivoted at one end adjacent the side edges of the back rest, a cross-bar for 'detachably connecting the opposite ends of said flexible bars, and whereby the pivoted side bars of the head rest are adapted to be moved between thc cross-bars of the back rest and fulcrumed on one of said bars.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of J une, 1921.

JOSEPH I. DAVENPORT. In presence of- JNO. G. ELLIOTT. 

